The Office for National Statistics has been releasing interesting datasets recently, around topics such as crime, loneliness and cancer. While you may not have the time to indulge in a fascination with random statistics, the data may prove useful to verify funding bids or to present to boards of trustees to back up claims of increasing demand on services.

Here’s the highlights.

Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: mid-2018

This is the broad brush data for populations, which could be useful for most funding bids. The data is broken down by local authority area, age and sex.

Main points

The population of the UK in mid-2018 was estimated to be 66,436,000.

The UK population grew by 0.6% between mid-2017 and mid-2018, the same rate of growth as in the previous year; growth in the years to mid-2017 and mid-2018 was slower than in any year since mid-2004.

In the year to mid-2018, there were fewer births (negative 2%) and more deaths (positive 3%) than in the last year; natural change was at its lowest since 2004.

Generation X most likely to die by suicide

A generation of people born in the 1960s and 1970s, known as Generation X, have consistently been dying from suicide or drug poisoning in greater numbers than any other generation with risk factors including deprivation.

This data might be useful if you are working in mental health, with this generation, or looking at suicide prevention.

Families and households in the UK: 2018

A new report looks at the ways that families are changing, with more families cohabiting than marrying, and more people living alone, living in same-sex couples, and young adults living with their parents than ever before.

This data might be useful if you’re working with young adults, same-sex couples, people at risk from loneliness, and families at risk.

Crime in England and Wales: year ending March 2019

This report covers crime against households and adults, also including data on crime experienced by children, and crimes against businesses and society.

Overall levels of crime showed falls in recent decades, but levels have remained broadly stable in recent years. While in the last year there has been no change in overall levels of crime, this hides variation seen in individual crime types. The latest figures show a mixed picture, with continued rises in some types of theft and fraud and falls in computer misuse. Consistent with the rising trend over recent years, there were increases in some of the less frequently occurring but higher-harm types of violence, including offences involving knives and sharp instruments.